Qatar's long-term plans for a "World Cup every single year"

By:

Luke Smith

Nov 20, 2021, 12:29 PM

Qatar is preparing to host the football World Cup next year, but will be thrown into the sporting spotlight this weekend as Formula 1 prepares to race in the country. Ahead of a 10-year deal to hold a grand prix from 2023 onwards, it's a much-needed opportunity to highlight reforms in the country

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Sunday will be an important landmark for Qatar as a nation.

While it may be race day for the Gulf state’s inaugural Formula 1 race, it will also be one year to the day until the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

From the moment you land in Qatar, it is obvious where all of the nation’s efforts are being charged right now. The capital, Doha, is undergoing extensive work to get the stadiums and infrastructure ready in time for the tournament. But while F1 may be taking a year off from Qatar in 2022 because of its focus on the World Cup, 2023 will mark the start of a new 10-year deal for the country, expanding the series’ presence in the Middle East to a fourth grand prix.

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Luke Smith

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Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.

Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.